Kathmandu. A Russian military plane has crashed in the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula, killing all 29 people on board.

The incident has raised serious questions about the safety of military aviation, with a technical snag initially believed to be the cause of the crash.

The AN-26 was carrying six crew and 23 passengers, the Russian Defense Ministry said. They died in the accident. The aircraft lost contact with the aircraft at around 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

The plane was flying over the Crimean Peninsula. In 2014, Russia annexed this territory from Ukraine, which is considered illegal by the international community. Although a rescue team was deployed after the accident, it has been confirmed that all of them died on the spot.

According to the news agency Interfax, the Ministry of Defense said based on preliminary investigations, the accident was caused by a technical fault. The ministry said it was believed there was no external attack or interference on the plane.

State operators TASS and RIA Novosti told AFP that the plane had fallen into a rocky area, causing “catastrophic damage”.

The An-26 is a Soviet-era military transport turboprop aircraft used for a variety of military and logistical purposes.